Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has revealed how he helped prevent a disaster aboard a Flydubai flight.
Machchhar said he opened the cockpit door while the aircraft was rapidly losing altitude.
He made the move despite being injured during an attack by his co-pilot.
Speaking to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Machchhar recalled the tense moments from his hospital bed.
“I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” he said.
Machchhar said he realised the passengers could be in danger if he failed to act.
“I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realized that if I didn’t get up … then passengers would lose their lives,” he told Modi.
The pilot reportedly managed to open the cockpit door as the Boeing 737 descended sharply.
Passengers then entered the cockpit and helped restrain the attacker, according to the report.
The flight was carrying 182 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident occurred.
The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.
The Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar also spoke about the role of his faith during the crisis.
He said he recited the Hanuman Chalisa while facing the difficult situation.
“Lord Hanuman gave me courage,” he told Modi.
Machchhar is recovering at a hospital in Abu Dhabi after sustaining serious injuries.
The Mumbai-born pilot has worked with Flydubai for about four years.
Before joining the airline, he spent 11 years with Indian carrier SpiceJet.
He reportedly accumulated more than 9,750 flying hours during his time with the airline.
The incident has drawn attention to Machchhar’s actions during the emergency.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities began arrangements to bring stranded citizens home from the United Arab Emirates.
Commercial travel between Israel and the UAE had been disrupted following the incident.
Repatriation flights were scheduled between Dubai and Tel Aviv as authorities worked to return affected passengers.
